Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-05-05
wHO ARE THE sTRIKsRsg
An Interesting Consideration of tho
Subject.


In an editorial headed 'tRetributive
JuHtice,n the Boston Herald says: The
Shoe and Leather Reporter, in speaking Of
the labor controversy in Worcester county,
says: "Here, as elsewhere in the country,
the workingmen have drawn the lines ct
nationality. Those who are New Eng
landers by birth and education for the
most part came in under the notice that
is, the free shop notice. and are at work.
The foreigners are almost unit and are
out" Assuming that this is true state
ment of the case, it would be interesting
to know how far parallel statement
would hold true in the other labor con-
troversies throughout the United States.
That is to say, some suggestive conclu-
sions might be drawn If it were shown
that, in the contests between employer
andemployed, the native American work
ingmen were but rarely found among the
stfikers,, and in these cases unwillingly,
while those workingmen of foreign birth
were in most cases loyal to the labor Or
ganization, and quite willing to carry on
a contest if their leaders SO directed.
We do not mean to say that this is the
case, and yet what, is termed the expert
ence in Worcester county among the boot
and shoe manufacturers Is certain ly not an
exceptional experience. In anumber in
stances in what has been published in
Our Talks with the People" the fact has
been brought forward in q prominent
way that the native American working
| man greatly dislikes to enter upon a
strike, and has much more tender soil
citude for the possible injury that may
result to his family from an entire stop
| page of wages than is ordinarily enter
| tanned by a nRturalized American work
| iugman Il cannot be said that this
| is due to any lack of courage on the part
| of the native Americans, for the national
character has been too often tested under
trying conditions to permit such a sup.
/ position to be entertained. But 1t is not
| at all strange that men who come to this
country with the old world notions of
hostility between classes, with an in
herited sense of oppression and wrong,
and with those improvident instincts
which this sad experience has eugendered
should be more ready to enter into q con-
flict than men who have not passed
through and who have not inherited the
same traits of character.
4 This, we say, would be prima faeie
conclusion, aud we should not be at all
surprised if careful investigation of the
entire labor field demonstrated that il
rested upon reasonably provable bases.
Assuming that this is the case, it must be
said that if the manufacturers of this coun.
try are uBduly suffering in consequence
Of labor agitations, il is q result for which
, they are largely responsible. Fifty years
| ago the labor of this country was almost
entirely what would be termed native
labor for the tide Of immigration was SC
. small that it did not materially affect the
[ great current of American life. Undoubt.
l eddy, great flow of Immigration would
have set in from variety of causes
: altogether Independent of action taken
| by influential employers of labor in this
{ country; but there can be no question
| | that, in q countless number Of cases
these employers have encouraged immi
! grafton for the purpose Of holding il
check those in their en- ploy.
. In many oases in pas, years large mum
btf 81 operatives aud woTkinglnei- 0
different classes have been brought I,
this country under direct contract witt
a manufacturers or manufacturing corpor
= ations, and in still larger number o
/, cases the manufacturers have taken I'D
i vantage of what might be termed tn
b foreign labor market in this country II
J, free themselves from temporary embaI
- rassment of continuing to pay thei
d American operatives what they con
sidered to be too high rates q
n wages. The result has been that, i
i endeavoripg to supply themselves wit
- cheap labor, the manufacturers have i
n too many instances pushed the America
IS workmen to the wall, and forced him OF
h OF work and compelled him to go west, {
to engage in some occupation other tina
81 that of manufacturing character. L
Il then. at the present time the labor col
q flict is intensified because it is not guide
Al by native American spirit, it may be sal
Ie that this is but a just retribution for IL
r unwise action of the past. In the lai
Ie guage of the scripture, the fathers ha1
y eaten sour grapes and their children
ID teeth are set on edge.